Colorado woman fined $500 for possession of apple

By

Ray Downs

A Colorado woman returning home from France said she was fined $500 for carrying an apple off the plane and failing to declare the fruit to customs agents. File Photo by John Dickerson/UPI | License Photo

April 22 (UPI) -- A Colorado woman traveling home from France was charged $500 because she was in possession of an apple.

On a flight from Paris to Denver, Delta Air Lines staff handed out apples for an in-flight snack and Crystal Tadlock put hers in her purse to save for later.

But she said once she carried the apple onto U.S. grounds, a customs agent informed her she broke a customs rule by not declaring the free fruit, even though it was still wrapped in Delta packaging.

"He had asked me if my trip to France was expensive and I said, 'yeah.' I didn't really get why he was asking that question, and then he said 'It's about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500,'" Tadlock told Fox 31-TV. "It's really unfortunate someone has to go through that and be treated like a criminal over a piece of fruit."

Tadlock said Delta should have been more diligent about warning passengers to not carry produce off the plane.

A Delta official told The Washington Post that its food "is given with intention you consume it on board."

In a statement, the carrier said it encourages flyers to "follow U.S. Customs and Border Protection protocols."